Bellanca 7KCAB accident near East Aurora, New York, June 20, 2013
On June 20, 2013 at about 8:20 pm local time, a Bellanca 7KCAB, registered N11679, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff (rejected takeoff) near East Aurora, New York (Treichler Farm airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during a rejected takeoff on a soft turf runway with a gusty wind, resulting in the airplane nosing over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 20, 2013 · about 8:20 pm local time
- Place
- East Aurora, New York · Treichler Farm · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 7KCAB · all 7KCABs on the register
- Registration
- N11679 · registry record · serial 307-72
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that his tailwheel airplane was near its maximum gross weight and he planned to depart his private airstrip from runway 18, a 1,530-foot long turf runway. The pilot had completed takeoff performance calculations, which revealed a total distance of 1,429 feet to clear a 50-foot obstacle. The pilot's calculations included adjustments for an up-sloping runway, grass taller than 4 inches, soft terrain, and no headwind component. He observed that the wind at the time of departure was from the south to southwest at 5 to 10 knots. The engine developed rated power during run-up and the takeoff roll; however, the airplane lifted off slightly further down the runway than the pilot expected and it seemed to stop accelerating in a flat climb attitude. Due to obstacles at the end of the runway, the pilot reduced power and performed an "aggressive" wheel landing in an attempt to stop on the remaining runway. The airplane subsequently nosed over and came to rest inverted on the grass runway. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the airplane. Examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the forward fuselage and vertical stabilizer. The recorded wind at an airport located approximately 15 miles from the accident site, about 25 minutes prior to the accident, was from 260 degrees at 8 knots, gusting to 14 knots. The pilot added that after the accident, he noticed that the wind had shifted from south to north.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of lift during takeoff
- Nose over/nose down during takeoff (rejected takeoff) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › Soft › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 13,200 hours in all; 55 in this make and model; 220 in the last 90 days; 85 in the last 30 days; 6,393 as pilot in command; 2,200 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 24, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,272 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 23, 2012; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 5NK9 East Aurora NY at 8:20 pm
- Destination: 5NK9 East Aurora NY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 1,530 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 8 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 7:54 pm from BUF, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA13CA298.